Russia is preparing to supply Iran with 90 launchers for advanced missiles, according to leaked documents from the Russian defence industry that shed new light on the scale of military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.
The documents, obtained by Dallas Analytics, a private Ukrainian intelligence company, and shared with the British newspaper The Guardian, outline plans to supply Iran with launchers for LMUR guided missiles. These missiles are fired from combat helicopters and have been widely used by Russian forces against Ukrainian targets since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
A production plan prepared in May 2024 by Vympel, one of Russia’s leading developers of missiles and launch systems, includes an order for 90 launchers under an export contract identified by the code name “K-10”. Deliveries were scheduled to take place between late 2024 and December 2025.
Other internal documents explicitly identify Iran as the destination of the contract bearing the “K-10” designation.
However, the leaked material does not establish whether the launchers were ultimately delivered to Iran.
A separate production plan, which envisaged supplying Iran with six Yak-130 training aircraft in 2023, is consistent with publicly available reports confirming that the aircraft were delivered.
The documents provide new insight into Russian-Iranian military cooperation at a sensitive moment, as Washington considers its next steps in the conflict with Iran following the US midterm elections.
Moscow is widely viewed by observers as one of the main beneficiaries of a prolonged war involving Iran, which has brought Russia strategic and economic advantages.
Russia has benefited from rising global energy prices triggered by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf.
Higher oil revenues provide the Kremlin with additional financial resources to sustain its war against Ukraine and could help ease pressure on Russia’s already strained budget.
The reported missile-launcher arrangement highlights the growing military ties between Moscow and Tehran, although the extent of the deliveries remains unconfirmed.
